On The Run
by Kraven Ergeist
Summary: AU Fic :: The Akatsuki have taken over the world. Eight out of the nine tailed beasts are under their command, and with their power, the Akatsuki have decimated the world of the ninja. Now, five years later, Naruto is still on the run. CH. 2 IS UP!
1. Chapter 1

**Naruto Fan Fiction**

**On The Run**

By Kraven Ergeist

"I don't like it, Kakashi," an aged Naruto whispered between gritted teeth.

The two of them were perched around the canyon walls surrounding the remains of what had once been Sunagakure. The majority of the sturdy sandstone establishments had been reduced to rubble. The larger, official buildings where the village elders and the Kazekage would normally be housed were little more than a crater in the center of what had once been a prosperous village, struck without the slightest chance of escape in the initial barrage that had hit when the Hachibi had attacked at full force.

As ruined as the city looked, the two shinobi knew for a fact that as far as old ninja villages went, Sunagakure was one of the few left mostly intact.

"This place is a graveyard, Naruto," Kakashi pointed out. "Even though the Akatsuki already obtained his tailed beast, he was still the leader of all the shinobi in the village. He'd still be someone they wanted to remove. It's entirely possible he got away, but either way, we're not likely to find him here."

"I know," Naruto frowned, running a finger across the scar that cut across his nose, almost identical to the one that Iruka had had back when he was alive. Sasuke had left him with it a few years back; about the same time he'd killed Iruka. "We should probably press on."

"We're short on supplies," Kakashi reasoned. "We should try to scrounge what we can. Besides, there's still likely to be a few of Akatsuki's flunkies left to the guard the place in case someone showed up."

"Someone like us," Naruto grumbled bitterly.

Kakashi suppressed a sigh. The old Naruto would have said that with a grin. The world had become a truly dark place that even the usually cheerful, carefree Naruto had become such a depressing individual.

"We'll make this quick," Kakashi said, standing up from behind their rocky hiding place. "Cover my six."

Naruto got to his feet, following behind. "Understood."

xxxxx

The village was devoid of life – it had been for years. Anything that could be salvaged had either been picked over by looters, or already been spoiled. But there were certain supplies only a shinobi could get to, which is what Kakashi had in mind. While the immediate concern was food and water, in order to survive the Akatsuki hunting party, they needed ninja tools – weapons, traps, poisons, soldier pills, scrolls, anything that could increase the odds of survival.

Anything they hoped to obtain, however, had to be dug up from out of tons and tons of broken sandstone, which meant exposing their flanks, and in Naruto's case, seeing the brutality of the attack up close.

"Fucking bastards…"

Kakashi saw Naruto standing over a pile of ruble. He didn't need his sharingan to see the rotten corpses of two parents that had tried futilely to protect their child from the falling debris that had crushed all three of them.

"Naruto…"

"Why?" Naruto growled, tears forming in his eyes. "They've already taken the Ichibi out of Gaara. Why did they need to go this far?"

Kakashi frowned. He knew Naruto wasn't looking at this with any perspective. A single glance around with his sharingan, and Kakashi detected enumerable innocent civilians and families massacred in a similar manner. The entire village of Sunagakure was gone, left in utter ruins. Their home village, Konohagakure, even more so. All the prominent ninja villages all across the continent, wiped out. In the five years that had passed since Akatsuki had first struck, Kakashi had already accepted this as fact. But the chakra he felt emanating off of Naruto made him worry.

"Based on what Jiraiya told me, the Akatsuki had been planning to completely revolutionize the world," Kakashi explained. "To completely eradicate the ninja system from the countries of the world."

Naruto just started, angrily. "Do these people look like shinobi to you?"

The violent chakra didn't die down, and Kakashi began to worry about how easily they would be found if Naruto continued like this.

"Naruto…" Kakashi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

"Forget it," Naruto said, gruffly. "I'm-"

Both of them suddenly leapt away from each other just in time to avoid the hail of explosive kunai that literally showered the entire city block they had been moments earlier.

The two of them appeared moments later, within the still intact walls of another sandstone building. The smell of blood and death still permeated its wall, but at present, the straggling team of two had more pressing concerns.

"Keep a lid on that chakra of yours, Naruto!" Kakashi hissed. "How many times do I have to remind you, that Kyuubi is like a beacon to anyone around you!"

Naruto's eyes were now solidly red.

"They can come and get me…"

Kakashi suppressed a groan and motioned for them to flee down the hallway. Light came in through windows and holes broken in the window that flashed images of the world around them as they passed. It was in one of these images that Kakashi caught a look at their opponent.

His eyes widened.

"Naruto! Move!"

With an explosion that echoed off the canyon walls, the building came crashing down.

xxxxx

Sasuke frowned. He did not like his present situation. After finally achieving his vengeance, the world didn't look any brighter. Instead, it left him with an empty feeling, a complete loss for purpose or direction.

So when the Akatsuki had offered him a position within their ranks, he hadn't refused. He had seen firsthand what these Akatsuki could do. They would be of use to him – insofar as they would eliminate any other hindrances to his next course of action.

"Sasuke?"

The last survivor of the Uchiha clan stared grumpily at his partner. Suigetsu had toppled his bother's former accomplice, Kisame, and had achieved his goal of procuring the Samehada sword. The Akatsuki leader had offered him and the other members of Team Hebi positions within the Akatsuki ranks and they had been slowly working their way up.

"What do you want?"

Sasuke looked up as Karin strode languidly towards him, her cropped Akatsuki robes revealing all too much leg for Sasuke's tastes. Suigetsu and Jugo now filled the empty spaces that Hidan and Kakuzu had left, which left Sasuke and Karin to fill his brother and Kisame's slot. And more still now bore the black robes with red clouds, as Akatsuki's numbers grew ever more over the years. Eight of the nine Jinchuriki had fallen to the Akatsuki, who now bore their power for their own doing. And Sasuke's previous attachment to the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi made him an invaluable asset.

"I'm just bored," Karin deliberately whined, swaying her hips invitingly. "We haven't done anything in ages! I'm going crazy here!"

Sasuke closed his eyes in masked frustration. Karin's quirks had always gotten to him. She was emotional, outspoken, wasted far too much energy on the trivial matters, and still persisted after all these years, despite her obvious attraction towards him, to deny any such claims should anyone outside their circle interfere.

But she had a few perks that came along with the quirks.

Sasuke's sword came out of nowhere and landed millimeters from Karin's neck. Karin's expression didn't falter for a second. Sasuke began to smile. The woman's fingernails, coated with a deadly poison, were set to stab him directly below his chin.

She was never caught off guard when it came to combat. She was a stupendous fighter. She could hold her own, which Sasuke respected. That was the first perk.

"Very well then…" Sasuke mused, retracting his blade. He allowed Karin to lower herself onto his lap, clamping her lips down on his ear. He closed his eyes, feigning real pleasure, as she laid him on his back and climbed on top of him, kissing the pale skin of his neck.

In his objective to revive his clan, spreading the name of Uchiha all over the Akatsuki's new world, no one suited his needs better than Karin. She was willing, she was able, she was a strong and fit woman, perfect for bearing children…

That, by far, outweighed everything.

"I love you, Sasuke…" Karin cooed, sliding his robe open.

"Mmm…" Sasuke mused, noncommittally. In truth, he had no real feelings of affection for the girl. Respect and value to be sure. But in the end, she was just a tool to be used like any other. She had yet to fulfill her purpose, and if he voiced his displeasure with her feelings of attachment, he knew she would be less and less inclined to serve that purpose. So he played along, dancing this charade for as long as it took. If luck held, she would bear several fine children to the Uchiha name.

Sasuke had no trouble pretending to enjoy the kisses she gave him and was forced to return in kind. He had long ago sealed off the part of his mind that would ever care for such trivialities. But what kind of genius would he be if he couldn't pull off the acts flawlessly?

So it was with quiet stoicism that he took Karin to his bed that night, the kunoichi as so much putty in his hands. Five years, they had been playing this game, with yet no results. Karin had miscarried twice, though that was still as good as failure in Sasuke's mind. But Sasuke was nothing if not patient. And Karin had promised her devotion to him for as long as her life lasted. And Sasuke was planning on making her live up to her word.

xxxxx

The cause of the building's sudden collapse was two oversized swords slicing away anything resembling foundations that might have kept the already hobbling ruin up in the first place. With an annoyed sniff, Suigetsu hoisted Samehada over his shoulder, while Zabuza's beheading sword he let rest on the ground.

"Cheh…" he groaned. "Where do they think they can hide?"

He caught a glimpse of the two shinobi dashing into another building and launched after them.

"Watch my back, Jugo," he called back to his partner as he leapt towards the far building, dragging his two overlarge swords with him.

Jugo, for his part, just groaned in the affirmative.

Suigetsu reached the second building, and this time, simply plowed through it, making his own doors where there weren't any, following the scent of the chakra.

He wasn't surprised when the building came down on his head. The sound of explosive seals detonated at key points and brought the whole foundation down on him.

Suigetsu sniffed. "Cheh…"

Then he swung his two swords, and the crumbling ceiling split and blew apart, leaving a wide opening for him to slip out of. Leaping into the air, he saw the two shinobi he was after on the roof of a third building nearby, and Suigetsu went after them.

His blades went through each of them like butter, and the two shadow clones vanished, leaving behind logs with more explosive seals.

"Fuck…" Suigetsu hissed, as the two explosives went off, leaving a small crater on the roof of the already condemned building. Hardly a sweat broken, Suigetsu landed atop yet another far away building, this one barely a story above the ground.

"You could have told me there were just shadow clones, Jugo!" Suigetsu yelled accusingly at his comrade.

"I thought you could tell!" Jugo hollered back.

"Well, thanks, I've lost them now, you idiot!" Suigetsu hollered back, making his way back to his partner in three bounds.

"It's not my fault," Jugo shrugged. "You're the one that barreled after them. I would have been looking for the real targets, but you said to watch your back."

"What kind of shinobi are you, can't do two things at once!?"

"This is Copy Ninja Kakashi and the Nine Tail Jinchuriki we're talking about here!" Jugo reasoned. "I'm not gonna half-ass an order while _these_ guys are our opponents!"

"They why not at least come along with me so you can, oh I don't, maybe _contribute_ for once, instead of letting me do all the work!?"

"I thought you'd like to be the one to round up those two all by yourself."

"Do you want to keep your vital organs or don't you?"

"I'm just saying…"

Suigetsu holstered both blades behind his back, crisscrossed. "The Leader is not going to be happy with this."

"They can't have gotten far," Jugo reasoned. "And it's not like there are many places for them to go. We'll find them."

"Yeah? Like where? In the miles and miles of desert that surround Sunagakure?"

"It's a start."

"I hate you."

xxxxx

"Just a quick in and out scavenge, huh Kakashi?" Naruto growled as they powered out of Sunagakure.

Kakashi, for his part, was busy laying down more traps in the sand. About seventy some-odd shadow clones of them were running just as fast in as many other directions. Such escape tactics were all but rudimentary nowadays.

"It was your chakra that blew our cover, Naruto," Kakashi pointed out. "If this becomes a problem, I might have to start adding seals to your little repertoire."

Naruto ignored him. "Man, we can't keep this up much longer. We haven't eaten in days, we haven't had a good night sleep in months, and sooner or later, one of us is going to slip up. And I have a feeling it's going to be me!"

"We have to keep going, Naruto," Kakashi urged, finishing up his trap. "We have to keep searching. Someone must have survived the Akatsuki's massacre. Ninja weren't meant to operate in two man teams. Three has always been the minimum. We'll improve our chances greatly once we find _someone_, _anyone_ who we can trust."

Naruto sat weakly on the ground. He didn't even have the energy to complain anymore. He just kept thinking about Sakura, about Iruka, about Chouji and Shikamaru, about Hinata and Neji, about Gaara, and about Tsunade and Jiraiya. About everyone whose presence he had taken for granted, but were now lost, maybe forever.

The sad truth was that neither of them knew for a fact who was alive and who was dead. The attack had happened so fast, there had been no time to regroup or recruit. It had simply been a matter of run or be captured. And in Naruto's case, capture meant death. If it hadn't been for Kakashi and Iruka…

Iruka…

No, Naruto reminded himself. There was very little question as to his old Sensei's fate. Naruto clenched his teeth. One of these days, Sasuke would be made to pay for what he'd done.

"Get up," Kakashi commanded. "We can rest when we've put some more distance between us and those Akatsuki."

The 20-year-old Jinchuriki pursed his lips and threw Kakashi a dirty glare, but otherwise uncomplainingly got to his feet and matched pace with Kakashi as he continued running off into the distance.

xxxxx

Haraguchi was the name of the town that had sprung up in the Wind country after the collapse of Sunagakure. Of course, it wasn't even called the Wind country anymore. Akatsuki propaganda forbade such terms. The continent itself was all supposedly united under one banner, and it's capital, the original Akatsuki city, had seized all government control over the former shinobi world.

Haraguchi, the second largest, now reigned over the area that had once belonged to Sunagakure. It's walls reaches massive lengths, and its boundaries were ever increasing, leveling forests and wilderness to further their industry and production. Progress was the name of the game, and the Akatsuki was tearing the old world apart, with Haraguchi paving the way.

Elites paced the streets regularly, forcefully suppressing any uprising. All bore the black and red-clouded robes of the Akatsuki. Two, however, were more than they seemed.

"Explain to me again why we're here?" one female voiced whispered to another. They were both crouching atop tall buildings, taller than any they had before seen. Gone were the trees and grass and dirt roads that one normally expected. Here, there were paved streets and steel towers slowly rising out of the ground.

The taller of the two women lowered the brim of the wide conical Akatsuki hat that adorned most of the policing forces of the city. "It's called hiding in plain sight. A renegade shinobi would have to be crazy to seek refuge in one of Akatsuki's own cities, and certainly not in the guise of their own elite force. What better way to explain your skill than having been drafted into Akatsuki ranks?"

The other female frowned. "Sooner or later, we're going to get caught."

The second figure said nothing, staring down at the streets below them. Despite the supposed "prosperity" of the city, the streets were deserted. Elites, all dressed in the Akatsuki garb patrolled the city, blanketing the area, ensuring no stone was left unturned.

"Tsuna-"

"SHH!" the older woman hissed. "Don't ever use that name, child."

The younger of the two of them groaned anxiously. "Sensei, I feel like we're sitting ducks up here!"

"If you're so worried, stop making noise and keep a closer watch," the older of the two pressed. "Besides, I'll bet no one even comes up here anymore."

A few moments passed.

"You know-"

"I know, I know…"

The younger woman might've smiled, had it not been for the sudden shift in movement in the streets below.

"Looks…something's happening…"

The two stared down as the elite patrolling the streets seemed to form ranks on the main boulevard. The two of them leapt over several buildings to get a better fix on what was happening. When the got within eyeshot, they saw a progression of guards marching into through the city gates, and two individuals, both in Akatsuki robes, being escorted down the avenue.

The younger of the two quickly drew in her breath as the older seized her by the wrist, yanking her back, out of view of the procession.

"Wha – Sensei!?"

"Change of plans," the older barked. "We're leaving. Right now!"

"But-"

"Now!" she hissed, practically yanking her in the direction opposite the two on the street.

xxxxx

Karin noticed her companions stare and snaked her arm around his.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

The dark haired man made no motion to prevent nor acknowledge the display of affection as his stare remained fixed on the roof of a tower off to the left.

"Nothing," he decided, returning his gaze forward. "Nothing at all."

Karin pursed her lips. She could feel the chakra flowing through Sasuke's veins. It only got that way right after he used his sharingan.

xxxxx

Naruto lay, nearly passed out as Kakashi sat quietly on his haunches. They were both exhausted, their stomachs growling from hunger, having managed to forage very little in the desert surrounding them. It was at least a three-day journey to land with any kind of vegetation and any kind of food supply. The pattering of paws made only the faintest sound to Kakashi's pricked ears as Pakkun patrolled the surrounding area.

As willing as Kakashi was to continue protecting Naruto, his own lack of sleep was getting the better of him. Naruto may not have been sleeping well, but Kakashi hadn't slept period almost all week long.

"Hey, Naruto," he whispered, nudging the young man quietly.

The lad's tired eyes opened, and right away, he sat up, and motioned for Kakashi to lie down, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as he took the next shift.

Naruto's stomach grumbled. It had taken over half his allotted sleep time to actually get to sleep with all the clenching of his stomach muscles, trying to churn what wasn't there. There were dark circles under his eyes, and he was starting to lose weight rather quickly.

Rubbing his eyes, gave an envious look at his sensei. Kakashi had always been better at these things. Naruto could beat him in terms of sheer physical endurance, but when it came to psychological endurance, such as times where patience and diligence under stress was needed, Naruto felt so utterly helpless. Each passing moment, sleep threatened to reclaim him, clawing his eyes trying to stay awake. He longed for a fire to stave off the night's chill, but that would serve only to draw attention.

He briefly considered calling to Pakkun to sit with him and chat with him to keep him awake, but he dismissed the idea outright – if he did fall asleep, Pakkun was their last safety net should something happen. Then it occurred to him that calling for Pakkun wasn't the only answer - he could summon a companion of his own.

One summoning technique later, Gamatatsu was sitting on a rock in front of Naruto, staring tiredly at him.

"Whaaaaat?" the frog croaked miserably. "It's the middle of the night!"

"Shhh!" Naruto shushed, concerned for Kakashi's continued slumber. "I know it's late, but it's an emergency!"

Gamatatsu just glared at him. "What's the emergency, kid?"

Naruto glanced over at Kakashi. Still asleep from what he could tell.

"It's like this…we're on the run from the Akatsuki, and we're out on our own. We're out of supplies, and we're being hunted down. We're tired, we're hungry, and it's my shift and I'm in danger of falling asleep. If I fall asleep, we're both dead. So I need you to do whatever you can to keep me awake until sunrise."

"What did you have in mind?"

"Could you just…I dunno…stick around and make sure I don't fall asleep?"

The frog stared at him hard.

"Can it involve hitting you?"

Naruto ran his hands through his hair. "Just keep me talking, would you? I can't afford to fall asleep."

Gamatatsu grumbled. "Can't you just take one of those solider pills or something?"

"We're out, or I would have to begin with. If you have any on you, I'd gladly use them."

Gamatatsu shook his brown head. "No, we don't use drugs in the Gama clan. Now, if we were by a river, I could find some herbs and brew you some tea to keep you awake…"

Naruto shook his head. "We're in the middle of the desert."

Gamatatsu rubbed his webbed fingers against his rubbery head, until he clenched his hand into a fist.

"You need to summon by brother, Gamataro. He's a desert toad, he'll know what herbs to use to make some nice tea for you."

Naruto smiled. "Would he? That would be awesome!"

Gamatatsu sighed, content in that he could soon return to bed. "Alright, stay safe pal. And tell that dog friend of yours that he's way off the trail if he hasn't picked up those two kunoichi heading past you."

Naruto's eyes bugged out. "Those two what!?"

Gamatatsu sighed. "Yeah, old lady Tsunade's with them. Running awful fast, not even covering their trail."

Naruto was instantly on his feet. "Tsunade!? Here!? Are you sure?"

"Positive," Gamatatsu croaked, pointing with one of his webbed fingers. "The number of times Jiraiya's had me help him peep on that lady, I'd recognize that scent anywhere. About three clicks that way."

Naruto ran off without even waking Kakashi. Whistling to Pakkun, he rushed to where Gamatatsu had pointed when Pakkun caught up to him.

"Pakkun," he whispered as the two dashed over the desert sand in tandem. "Do you smell Tsunade-sama?"

Pakkun nodded. "Yes, I caught onto her scent about ten minutes ago."

"Then why didn't you come and get us!?" Naruto demanded, angrily.

"Kakashi's instructions were to alert you if anyone got within a kilometer of the camp," Pakkun explained. "Tsunade and Sakura were just outside of that radius, so I didn't think I needed to wake you. You honestly look like you could use your rest."

Naruto missed his step and fell in a heap in the sand. Darting right back to his feet, he sped after the dog.

"Sakura!? Sakura's with her!?"

"Yeah," Pakkun nodded. "Another hundred meters or so this way if we hurry."

Naruto felt his energy begin to rise. "Ok, Pakkun…go back and wake Kakashi. Tell him everything that's happened. I'm going on ahead."

Pakkun looked at him. "Whatever you say."

Pakkun changes directions and darted back towards the camp. Naruto added an extra burst of speed and kept going in the direction Pakkun had taken him.

"Sakura…" he muttered between his teeth. "Tsunade…"

It had been five years. Five years since he'd seen them last. He could remember it clearly – the six tailed salamander that had laid waste to Konoha, the streets of the village run amuck with Akatsuki Elite, squelching out everyone in sight – the women, the sick, the elderly. Everyone.

He'd wanted to stay and fight. He'd wanted to protect the people he loved. He wanted to find them, and fight beside them. To defend their home as brothers in arms. But Kakashi and Iruka had appeared in front of him as he ran towards the fray that informed him that the Hokage had been defeated, and that the remaining ninja were fleeing into the woods.

He hadn't wanted to believe it. He hadn't wanted to give up. He hadn't wanted to accept that he'd been able to do nothing while the people he loved were massacred in their homes. It had taken all of Kakashi and Iruka's combined efforts to tear him away from the village. Now, after all this time, he could finally see for himself. Now, after all this time, he could finally set things right.

xxxxx

"Sensei!" Sakura panted, following deftly behind her master. "I think we've put enough distance between us and the city. Tell me who that was."

"It was no one," Tsunade said, unperturbed. "Just keep running."

Tsunade knew her disciple would follow, but she also knew her patience with her master was wearing thin. It couldn't be helped – she knew all too well Sakura's history and feelings for Sasuke. She knew her disciple well enough to know that the moment she became aware that Sasuke had donned the Akatsuki robe and was now in Haraguchi, she would turn right back around and storm the city by force.

Her thoughts were cut short when an all too familiar presence made itself known.

"Sakura! Find a place to hide!"

Immediately, the two kunoichi had hidden themselves among the rocks. For several long moments, the two remained hidden, when tired voice broke through the darkness.

"Sakura! Tsunade!"

Before Tsunade could say a word, her disciple had already jumped out of her hiding spot to face the interloper head on.

Naruto stared aghast as he saw the girl he used to know wearing Akatsuki robes.

"Sa…Sakura…" Naruto stared aghast. "Is it…is it really…?"

Sakura was glaring. Her fists were clenched. The look in her eyes spoke only of hatred.

"Again…?"

That was the only warning Naruto got before Sakura lunged at him, landing a fist in the rock face he had been two milliseconds prior, shattering the stone wall into pieces.

Naruto gasped, leaping away. "S-Sakura!?"

"Don't you people learn!?" Sakura shouted, throwing another fist in Naruto's direction, barely missing him. "I'm fed up with this! It won't work! I'm not falling for it again!"

"Sakura!" Naruto shouted through exhausted gasps of breath. "What are you doing!? It's me! It's Naruto!"

"Yeah, sure!" Sakura glowered, tears in her eyes, throwing punch after punch, sending rock and rubble flying in every direction. "I've seen enough Uzumaki Naruto's to fill a village. Not that there are any villages still around after you all left them in _shambles_!"

Naruto caught sight of Tsunade hoping over rocked faces to catch up with their little reunion, and he silently hoped Kakashi and Pakkun would get here soon.

"Listen to me, Sakura! I'm not trying to trick you! I'm not a spy or a clone or anything like that, I'm _me_!"

"Yeah, well only one way to find out!" Sakura cried, unrelenting. She was going all out, trying with all her might to land a blow. But she wasn't being at all rational in her attacks – she would have managed at least one good punch if she had been. She was trying to dispel whatever technique she imagined he had around him to give him his appearance. If that were so, he realized, then the only way to prove he was real was to allow himself to be hit by one of those super powered punches of hers!

"Sakura!" Tsunade's voice echoed. "Back off! This one might be telling the truth!"

Sakura hesitated just long enough to let Naruto put some distance between the two of them. He was sweating, panting, and exhausted. Sakura just looked furious.

"One chance…" Sakura glared, tears of rage and sorrow streaming down her cheeks.

Naruto stumbled to think of something to say to convince her, even if all it managed was get her to back off long enough for Kakashi to arrive.

"Sakura…I…"

Naruto stumbled over the words. Sleep deprived, starving, out of breath, exhausted, and painfully lonely, he said the only thing he could think of.

"I love you…"

Sakura's pulse quickened and her rage boiled over the top. "And how many times do you think I've heard _that_ line!?"

Before Tsunade could step in, Sakura was already charging him, fist bared. Naruto didn't jump away this time. He only moved to catch her fist in his hand to stop it from landing.

It didn't make much of a difference.

BOOOMF!

An explosion of chakra burst from behind Naruto, his whole body shuddering as the full force of Sakura's fury lashed through his chest. A crater about the shape and size of a baseball field was left behind him from the resounding shock wave. A hole in front and back of his shirt smoldered from the impact.

Sakura glared at him, waiting to hear the sudden POOF as the transformation technique wore off or the shadow clone disappeared, and the farce that continued to dangle her closest friend before her eyes was erased.

Instead, he raised his head to face her, his eyes narrowed red from the Kyuubi's chakra within him. He blinked once and his eyes returned to their normal blue color, his whole body shaking as he smiled weakly at her.

"Sakura…"

He convulsed as he spit out a lungful of blood, his knees buckling. He remained standing just long enough to raise his head once more to her reddened eyes.

"Sakura…I…"

His eyes went lidded and he toppled over, falling into Sakura's arms. Her look of hatred was gone. In its place was a look of dreadful realization. In her rage, she had attacked him outright. So hurt had she been by pale imitations of the boy in the past, so sick of the haywire they always played on her emotions, that she had been lost for all reason. For a brief moment, she had wanted the boy out of her life, so that she could be spared the torment of having to keep killing him over and over again.

But this was no imitation. This was Naruto. This was the real thing, the boy she had been friends with all those years ago, the boy who had loved her unconditionally with all the devotion his young heart could offer, the boy she had been searching for all these years.

And she had probably just killed him.

"NARUTO!"

xxxxx

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

**Naruto Fan Fiction**

**On The Run**

By Kraven Ergeist

Naruto could only watch in terror and anguish as he saw the life draining from his first sensei's eyes. Iruka stood before him, arms out stretched, the tip of Sasuke's Kusanagi blade protruding from his chest, the tip dripping with blood that was both Iruka's and his own. Naruto hadn't even noticed that the tip of the sword had opened up a gash in his own face, a strike that would have cut into his brain if it had gone uninterrupted. All he could see was Iruka's face as blood slowly dripped from his lips.

Iruka smiled. "Naru…to…"

And then his eyes were closed.

In a burst of energy, five tails instantly sprung from Naruto's back, sending everything within a two hundred meter radius flying back. There were miles out of Konoha, fleeing from the attack that had taken place scant hours ago, effectively the middle of nowhere. Akatsuki was spread everywhere, it had been pure chance that they had been spotted by Sasuke. He had waited until Kakashi had gone out scouting ahead, leaving Iruka and Naruto behind to make his move. Catching them off guard, he had killed the only obstacle between his path to Naruto.

Now all that was left to contend with were the waves and waves of energy that sprang from pure rage and hatred that Naruto funneled through the kyuubi.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHH"

xxxxx

"-Ahhhh!"

Naruto startled everybody as he bolted upright.

Kakashi, Tsunade and Sakura all looked down at him, smiling weakly.

"Welcome back, Naruto," Tsunade said, wiping her brow. It had been a difficult procedure, repairing so much tissue damage. Lucky Naruto was such a fast healer.

"Tsunade…" Naruto voiced, looking around. "S-Sakura!"

Sakura offered a guilty smile. "Naruto…"

Before Naruto could say anything else, he fell back over in pain, clutching his chest.

"Take it easy, Naruto," Tsunade said almost scolding. "You're not ready to move quite just yet."

Sakura moved to kneel beside him, taking his hand in hers.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto…" she sighed bitterly. "I just couldn't be sure. I've seen so many fakes, trying to lure us out of hiding, trying to get me to trust them…I lost control…I didn't…I couldn't…I'm…I'm so sorry…"

To her surprise, Naruto managed a laugh.

"Heh…same old Sakura…you haven't changed a bit…"

Sakura's face brightened, but she still found herself wiping tears from her eyes.

"Baka…"

Naruto smiled at her, before looking around at the others.

"How long was I out for? And where are we?"

"Just a day. We're a pretty fair distance from where we met up with Hokage," Kakashi explained. "No one could have missed the outburst of chakra from Sakura's punch, not to mention the chakra you pulled from the Kyuubi to stave off the brunt of it – which is probably the reason you're still alive right now. We had to move it quick."

"You shouldn't call me that," Tsunade chided. "I'm no longer the Hokage. There _is_ no Hokage. There is no _Konoha_. We're all that's left."

"No. You're wrong…Tsunade…" Naruto groaned, fighting to get back upright again. "I refuse to believe there's no one else out there. There's got to be somebody…they're just in hiding, like us. And even if there isn't…we _are_ Konoha. Even if it's just the four of us, as long as one of us is alive, Konoha's alive."

Tsunade stared wide-eyed at him. She couldn't help the deep swelling of pride she felt in her throat. His face was that of a young man, but inside, he was just the same.

"Heh…" she laughed, sardonically. "No doubt about it…you're the real Naruto alright…"

Naruto smiled at her, when suddenly his stomach growled viciously.

"Eh-heh-heh…" he blushed sheepishly. "You guys don't happen to have anything to eat, do you?"

Sakura sighed in relief. "Yep. Definitely Naruto."

xxxxx

There are very few people in the world Uchiha Sasuke would ever kneel to. Those who held such a claim were usually only there until Sasuke got what he wanted from them. At least, as far he was concerned. Pein, the Akatsuki Leader, was one such individual.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Sasuke said neutrally, as he genuflected before the Akatsuki leader. On either side of him were Konan, a blue haired kunoichi, and Tobi, a man adorned in a black and white mask. Sasuke didn't know much about either of them, but they both wore the Akatsuki robes, and were deemed worthy to stand by the leader of the entire Akatsuki, which told Sasuke that if they weren't incredibly powerful, Pein obviously had an invaluable use for them.

"Sasuke," Pein said, cutting right to business. "We've had an intrusion among the elite ranks."

Sasuke didn't move. "An intrusion?"

Pein nodded. "By one Haruno Sakura and the former Godaime Hokage. Though, by now, they're probably miles away. You saw them as you entered, no?"

Sasuke frowned, but did not otherwise react. "You assured me that those two had been taken care of years ago."

"I assured you nothing," Pein countered. "The elites reported two successful kills. That's all the data ever tells us. For all we know, everyone we ever thought taken care of is still at large. That is the value of trustworthy resources, Sasuke. Alas, such is not possible when one has to incorporate every aspect of the world into ones own organization."

Pein got to his feet and began to descend the dais on which he sat.

"That is why I am putting _you_ in charge of the team I am going to assign to finish the job."

If Sasuke was at all disturbed by this news, he didn't show it.

"I understand."

"Trust is an interesting thing, Sasuke," Pein said, standing close enough to stare into his cold dark eyes. "In the absolute of absolutes, you cannot trust anyone or anything. Surely, one such as yourself can understand that?"

Sasuke nodded, staring straight ahead. "I do."

"Then I can be sure that placing my trust in you is not a waste of my time?"

Sasuke nodded again. "You can."

Pein looked unimpressed. "Good. Elites will brief you on the details on your way out. I expect results. Dismissed."

Sasuke turned without preamble to stride out of the Akatsuki's Leader's main office, though it was more of a throne room. He wanted to spit, but remained rigid, not letting his emotions show through. He wanted to curse the Akatsuki Leader, and send this entire organization with him to hell. But he just kept walking.

As the doors closed behind him, Karin got to her feet.

"What did he want?" she asked Sasuke eagerly, having been waiting for a long while.

Sasuke didn't answer her. "Get your things in order. We're leaving."

xxxxx

Trail rations didn't consist of much – cold rice balls mixed with a special paste that added vital nutrients. It wasn't meant to stave off hunger so much as it was meant to keep the body going. It was bitter, cold, and soggy.

And right then, it was the best thing Naruto had ever tasted.

"Take it easy," Tsunade chided. "We only have so many of those left."

Naruto looked up guiltily, his mouth full of yellow colored rice. "_Shorry_," he said in a muffled voice that didn't sound in any way apologetic. Tsunade could swear she saw tears in his eyes. She sighed – she had never known someone to get so worked up over food.

Kakashi finished his rice ball gratefully. "Thanks for the food. We've been without rations for three days now, and with all the running and hiding, it's been difficult to forage. We were hoping to scrounge up some supplies in Sunagakure, but we were ambushed by Akatsuki. This was two days ago. We high tailed it out, and tried our best to throw them off our trail, but they could very easily drop in on us at any time."

Tsunade glanced over at Sakura, who was on lookout duty while Kakashi briefed her on their situation and Naruto revitalized himself.

"We better get moving soon then," she concluded.

Once Naruto was done eating, having polished off nearly half of their allotted rations, he got shakily to his feet (much to Tsunade's protest) and made his way over to where Sakura was sitting.

"Mind if I join you?" he said in a hushed voice as he hobbled over to her. He was keeping quiet partly not to attract any unwanted attention (in the unlikely event that an enemy within earshot was there by accident), but mostly to try to comfort Sakura.

He could tell she had been crying.

"It's…" Sakura began, not turning to face him. "It's like you're back from the dead…"

Naruto tried smiling. "I always knew you were out there somewhere…I just knew it."

Sakura shivered in the desert cold, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. "Part of me still isn't convinced this isn't all a dream…"

Naruto couldn't think of anything to say to that.

Sakura faced him. Her eyes were red. "Have you…" she nearly swallowed her tongue, but the question had to be asked. "Have you seen anyone else from Konoha? Or Sunagakure? Do you know if…if anyone's still alive?"

Naruto turned his head down. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, and it hurt whenever he spoke of it. "No…all I know for sure is that Iruka-sensei's dead. Sasuke…killed him."

Sakura's eyes flew open. "You saw Sasuke!?"

"Long ago," Naruto shook his head, halting her before she could get too excited. "Years…back when Konoha…" he took a long, steadying breath. "I don't even know if he's still alive, Sakura…but even if he is…he's too far out of reach."

Sakura's tears flowed anew. "Don't say that! After everything that's happened, he can't be-"

"He gave me this scar, Sakura," Naruto fixed the pink haired kunoichi with a firm gaze as he gestured to the mark across the bridge of his nose with his thumb. "He would have sliced my head open if Iruka-sensei hadn't been in the way…"

Sakura's lip quivered. "Naruto…"

The blonde ninja gritted his teeth. "He abandoned his team, betrayed his country, broke your heart, and he's killed the closest thing to a father I've ever had…"

Sakura swallowed, her eyes widening. She could see where this was going.

"Naruto…"

"The next time I see him," Naruto growled, getting to his feet, fists clenched. "I'll kill him."

xxxxx

Karin was following Sasuke through the desert, though where they were going, she wasn't quite sure.

"And how are we supposed to even find those two idiots?" she had asked when Sasuke had relayed their orders to her.

"They were deployed to scout this region," he had said. Karin noticed he had not called it the Wind Country. "We'll start be searching the remains of Sunagakure, and branch out from there. That would be where they would have started, and they might have left us some hint as to where they went."

Karin hadn't said anything, but she honestly thought he was giving those two too much credit. Suigetsu and Jugo weren't exactly the brightest of the Akatsuki. Then again, neither were Hidan and Kakuzu, the two they had replaced. It only made sense to fill the slots of two hard-to-kill bloodthirsty fighters with two more hard-to-kill bloodthirsty fighters.

And ever since he'd defeated Kisame, Suigetsu had been acting even more unbearably egotistical.

There was little to do as they traveled. Sasuke wasn't a talkative person in the privacy of his own room - out here in the open, he was dead silent. Karin was used to it. It's what made Sasuke so appealing, being so cool and controlled. Though occasionally, she minded not being able to open him up and see what he kept beneath that hard shell of his. Five years of partnership, and she still hadn't managed to get so much as a glimpse.

She stroked her abdomen ruefully.

Five years, and she still hadn't been able to give him a child either. The doctors had checked and double-checked her – reproductive-wise, she was perfectly healthy. It made no sense – why was it so difficult for her to conceive? Why did she miscarry every time she did? She had gone into maternity leave both times, so it couldn't have been due to trauma. Was there something the doctors couldn't see? Was she being sabotaged? If so, by whom?

She was terribly concerned. One more miscarriage, and she knew Sasuke would leave her. She would be as good as useless to him. She couldn't let that happen. The only reason she wasn't being used to track the last Jinchuriki was so that she could perform this duty. She wasn't a fool – she knew Sasuke felt nothing for her, she could see past the act. But maybe, just maybe, if she could prove her worth, then he would still be hers. It wasn't as if she wasn't good enough for his love, she knew. It was that Sasuke didn't feel things like love and desire. So for her, simply being useful enough for him to keep her around was the closest thing to love she was ever going to feel from him.

But if she couldn't bear his child…

"You're falling behind," Sasuke called back to her.

She gritted her teeth and stepped up her pace.

If she couldn't even do that much, she wouldn't be worth anything at all.

xxxxx

Naruto still wasn't quite healed yet, but the group couldn't afford to stay in the same place for too long, and there was only so much of a heads-up Pakkun could give them. Even ruling out stumbling into an ambush, if their pursuers caught onto their trail, it was much more difficult to conceal the retreat of four people than it was for two – especially when one of them was laid up.

So Naruto clung to Kakashi's back as he, Tsunade and Sakura dashed off in the cover of darkness, the stars their only guide. The frigid air hit Naruto like ice. The others were at least keeping active enough for their blood to heat their bodies, but while remaining motionless, he was freezing.

"So where exactly are we going?" Naruto called out to Tsunade, who had taken up position of team leader. A little conversation would take his mind off the cold, and he wanted to catch up with her at any rate.

"Sakura and I have a storehouse in the old River Country," she replied curtly. "We're going there to re-supply. With you back in the team, what we brought with us won't be enough to go anywhere for long."

Naruto grinned his old grin, and even Kakashi smiled to see it. It was good to see some of his old humor return.

"Sorry!" Naruto chuckled, scratching his head like a kid with his hand caught in a cookie jar.

"Don't be," Tsunade smiled warmly. "We're just glad to see that you and Kakashi are still alive. Plus, with the last Jinchuriki on our side, our chances of survival just went way up."

"The chances of the Akatsuki finding you also went up," Kakashi pointed out harshly.

Naruto winced and Tsunade growled. She knew it was true of course, but she had been trying to lift Naruto's spirits a little. Kakashi could be so dense sometimes.

"Don't listen to that old scarecrow," Tsunade chided. "You're well worth the risk. And maybe, just maybe, what you said will come true."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"With the Hokage and the last Jinchuriki banded together like this, this group will be a rallying point for any and all survivors of Konoha and its allies. You and I will be a beacon of hope to the old Ninja World."

Naruto beamed. He hadn't thought of that.

"And it makes you two that much more of a target," Kakashi pointed out dourly. "Akatsuki's information network is much more advanced than any lone surviving shinobi's could ever be. How exactly are people supposed to find out about us without attracting the wrong kind of attention?"

Tsunade gritted her teeth. Must Kakashi always play devil's advocate?

"We've all managed to get this far so far," Tsunade smiled, feigning confidence. "I don't see how–"

She didn't get to finish her sentence when Sakura's cry got everyone's attention.

"Take cover!"

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHNK!

The group came to a halt just before a gigantic wall of razor sharp ice erupted from the bare sand before them, expanding from left to right, north to south, for what looked like miles.

"About face!" Tsunade barked, though from where, Naruto couldn't tell. Kakashi had taken cover by some shrubberies and he couldn't see much. "Full retreat!"

Kakashi dashed out of his hiding place, heading in the opposite direction they had been coming, Naruto clinging to his back for dear life, when…

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHNK!

Another, identical wall of ice erupted from the sand, cutting off their escape, again coming from the north. The two walls formed a veritable canyon, both sides at least a hundred meters in height. It would be impossible to scale either wall without exposing themselves to attack, not to mention whatever potentially lethal properties were hidden within the ice itself.

Tsunade and Sakura stood on either side of Kakashi as he gently eased Naruto to the ground.

"Naruto…" he whispered hurriedly. This technique had a familiar tinge to it. For someone to draw that much water out of a _desert_, and then freeze it into such a colossal display, Kakashi had no doubt that the chakra used to create this technique had been funneled through the Samehada sword, and that meant only one thing: the Akatsuki scouting party had found them. "It's them. They've found us out."

Naruto smirked. "Don't worry. I have a plan. Can you give me a hand?"

Kakashi was confused at first, but then he saw him holding his arms out, hands clenched in a claw like grip around a ball of chakra quickly forming, and instantly Kakashi saw his plan.

"Do you have enough chakra for this?" Kakashi said, adding his hand to stabilize the flow of chakra. In the years past, Naruto had managed to produce the Rasengan using only his two hands, but he was in no condition to now.

Within moments, a glowing whirlwind of chakra spun in his hands and Naruto nodded mootly at Kakashi's query.

"Everyone close your eyes!"

With that, he plunged the ball of wind into the sand at their feet.

Sakura and Tsunade both remarked at how his ability to control his chakra had improved. Had he tried a stunt like this without controlling the flow, the explosion would have hit them all at full force. He also had the forethought not to put as much chakra as he normally did into this attack, because he wasn't using it to attack.

It was to provide cover.

POOOOOOOOOMF!

Sand flew everywhere. The tiny ball of explosive wind blew every particle of sand it touched upward, filling the air around them. Within seconds, none of them could see more than three feet in front of their face.

Kakashi scooped Naruto onto his back and blindly reached out to take Sakura's hand in one hand and Tsunade's in the other, and dashed down the artificial canyon to the south. The whole team knew they were only buying themselves time, but it might be enough for them to tip the scales.

"These are probably the two we ran into in Sunagakure," Kakashi explained hurriedly as they ran. "One of them was fighting using a familiar pair of swords. One of which belonged to Zabuza…" he threw a significant gland at Sakura. "And the other, to Kisame of the Akatsuki…" his gaze fell on Tsunade. "Zabuza we killed shortly before the chunnin exam before you became the Hokage," he explained for Tsunade's benefit. "But for him to be holding Kisame's weapon means that he must have defeated him. He is not to be taken lightly."

Tsunade and Sakura both looked grave. "You have no intel on his partner?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm afraid not. And it may not be just the two of them. They could have reinforcements we're not aware of. In the time since we encountered them last, they could have amassed…"

Kakashi's words fell short as they emerged from Naruto's impromptu sand storm to come face to face with a large man that Naruto and Kakashi recognized as the aforementioned Akatsuki's partner.

And from the look on his face, he was out for blood.

"Ah…more prey…"

And then he began to transform.

xxxxx

The sand in the air fell to the ground quickly. It took a while for Suigetsu to freeze the superheated grains to a solid enough state to fall back to the earth and make his way through. But when he finally did, he grinned.

"Well, well…at least the oaf can fight on occasion…"

Jugo had grown an additional pair of arms that seemed to be multi-jointed and super long reaching. His shoulders were appropriate overlarge, obscuring his face. His feet were firmly planted on the ground while his arms darted after the two – four? When did the girls get here? Oh well, more for them to bring to the Akatsuki leader.

Suigetsu smiled. Jugo had not only managed to pin the other shinobi down, but had done so while splitting them apart from each other. Not bad from a tactical…

Then they all were surrounded by puffs of smoke, all turning into the same orange and black attired shinobi.

"What!?" Suigetsu cursed. The same damn trick again!? Where was that bitch Karin when they needed her!? They needed someone who could tell the difference whenever these jerks pulled something like that!

A sudden explosion distracted him, and he turned to see a section of the ice wall that he had erected crumble and fall away, a flash of pink hair dashing away as the ice hit sand, dirt and rock, and became so much rubble.

Suigetsu cursed. He hadn't counted on them being able to get through that wall so easily. Jugo would be able to handle the boy, he decided, and Suigetsu rushed towards the opening Sakura had created, knowing the others would need to pass through that area to escape, when…

CRASH!

A sandal clad heel belonging to the Godaime Hokage hit the dirt at his feet, missing his crown, but shattering the earth beneath him. Suigetsu found himself buried in a pile of sand.

Desperately, he looked towards where he'd left Jugo, only to be met with dismay.

"Futon! Taifuu no jutsu!"

The four Naruto's had become sixteen, and they were running in a tight circle around Jugo, his long arms suddenly hindering him as they caught in the swirling air currents that were quickly forming around him. He soon found himself in the midst of a small tornado, his body twisting and twirling of its own accord as the boy's technique sucked him into the air.

"Raikiri!"

Suigetsu heard the distinct crackle of lightning as Copy Ninja Kakashi came dashing at him, a charged ball of chakra in the palm of his hand.

Suigetsu's hands formed a seal as the Lightning Cutter struck, and left a darkened scorched hole in the earth.

Kakashi didn't even stick around to see if the Akatsuki had been hit or not. Naruto had already joined Sakura and Tsunade, leaving his shadow clones to maintain the tornado until their chakra ran out. Silent as the night, Kakashi fled through the walls of the ice canyon, securing their retreat, sending several bunshins off in several directions. He then quickly caught up to the group.

They didn't stop until they were well within River Country.

xxxxx

"Well…I can see you two have made a fine mess of things…"

Sasuke and Karin had arrived at the scene of carnage a few hours later, where Suigetsu sat with a peeved expression next to an unconscious Jugo. Suigetsu had dissolved his body into water to escape Kakashi's Lightning Cutter, which unfortunately for him caused him to sink into the sand, which made it difficult and tedious both to reshape his body, and then to dig himself back out again. Jugo had simply hit the ground after the tornado technique had withered out and gotten knocked out. Karin had of course leapt at the opportunity to lord their failure over their heads.

"Hey, our targets were Kakashi and the Kyuubi," Suigetsu protested bitterly, while Sasuke hunched over Jugo administering a shot of adrenaline. "Nobody said anything about The Hokage and her apprentice being here!"

Karin had her arms crossed with a look of absolute haughtiness on her face. "Right. Because you've been doing a _fantastic_ job bringing in the last Jinchuriki. How long have you been after him? Two years? Three?"

"We were stationed in this region, waiting for anyone on Akatsuki's watch list to rear their heads," Suigetsu argued. "Where were you? Sitting at home, making out with Sasuke?"

"What!?" Karin blushed heatedly, clenching both fists at her side. "That's outrageous!"

"Not really," Suigetsu blew a strand of hair out of his face. "Considering how long you've been-"

"Quiet," Sasuke silenced them both as Jugo regained his senses. Sasuke watched as the big man sat up, looking dizzy.

"Ugh…what hit me?" he slurred, looking like he'd woken up from a heavy night of drinking.

"We were hoping you could tell us," Karin put in, losing her air of superiority.

Jugo blinked and shook his head. "I blanked out. My better half must have been the one fighting."

Karin pursed her lips. "Well, that doesn't bode well – you were trounced even in your sealed form?"

Jugo looked up guiltily. "There were four of them!"

"All it took was one to take you out," Suigetsu laughed, snobbishly. "I was outnumbered three to one, you were beat fair and square by the blonde haired brat."

Sasuke turned a pointed gaze at Suigetsu. "You found the last Jinchuriki?"

Suigetsu smiled. "We've been trailing them for three or four days now. The kid sucked Jugo into some wind technique-"

Sasuke had Suigetsu by the collar before anyone could blink.

"And you let him get away!?"

Karin and Jugo flinched visibly. Suigetsu looked downright pale. "Hey, take it easy – we're on their trail, we'll catch up to them. They were headed towards River Country when we caught up to-"

Sasuke threw Suigestu back in annoyance, causing him to stumble slightly. "Everybody on your feet," Sasuke barked impatiently. "We move out presently." He turned to go out the hole in the slowly melting ice canyon. "And it's no longer the 'Wind Country.' It's been proclaimed 'Region Six' under Akatsuki rule."

Suigetsu huffed, dusting himself off. "_Excuse_ me."

Sasuke threw him a deadly glare, before taking off into a run. Karin, who had been busy swooning, quickly followed after. Jugo cracked his neck and went into a lopping run.

Suigetsu spat on the sand in disgust.

"Fucking prick."

Then he was running.

xxxxx

When sand dunes gave way to rolling hills, and from the hills sprang grass, trees, and eventually water, the ninja team from Konoha finally stopped to catch their breath.

"We'll get some rest here," Tsunade announced, setting down her travel bag.

Sakura was panting for breath, and Kakashi looked weary. Naruto had all but passed out on his back from all the chakra he'd expended making shadow clones and wind techniques.

Kakashi laid Naruto to rest, covering him with a bedroll. "Sakura, the Hokage and I will take the first watch. You look tired."

She didn't argue. She pulled out her bedroll and laid it next to Naruto's, and was soon dozing, the heat from his body making up for the lack of a fire.

Kakashi busied himself by refilling their water canteens at the nearby stream. Tsunade was sitting on her haunches, fingers steepled in contemplation.

Kakashi wandered back, unsilently. "We're not out of the woods yet. This is not the first Akatsuki scouting party we've dodged, nor the last. And now that they know you're with us…"

Tsunade honestly wanted to punch him, but she couldn't risk injuring him. She was tired too, and the lack of sleep might just cause her to lapse in her chakra control and kill him.

So she settled on glaring him down.

"Yes, you've made your point very clear. What we need to start thinking of is what we should be doing now that we're in this situation."

Kakashi sat facing her. "As long as we're on the move, we're vulnerable. We need a safe haven, somewhere we can hide, somewhere we can blend in."

Tsunade shook her head. "But the Akatsuki have razed all the old villages and replaced them with cities of steel and concrete. Every scrap of civilization is walled in, with twenty four hour surveillance, and guards who are specifically on the lookout for any remnants of the old Ninja way."

She tugged at her green robe (she and Sakura had since stowed their Akatsuki robes).

"Dressed as we are, and with faces as recognizable as ours, I doubt we'll find any kind of sanctuary in any of the Akatsuki cities."

Kakashi frowned. "You haven't found _any_ type of independent town or establishment that hasn't been touched by the Akatsuki?"

Tsunade shook her head. "None. And we've been searching. Before we ran into you, Sakura and had managed to infiltrate Haraguchi, one of Akatsuki's super cities, but we had to make a speedy departure…"

She lowered her voice.

"Sakura doesn't know this, but I caught a glimpse of Sasuke before we left Haraguchi. I'd prefer neither of them find out."

Kakashi nodded, stoically. "Naruto has become especially vindictive of Sasuke. You saw that scar on his face?"

Tsunade's eyes widened. "Oh no…"

Kakashi closed his eyes. "It's not clear to me what will happen if the two of them were to fight, but Naruto is in no shape right now to handle Sasuke. He needs at least a few days to get back to full strength."

Tsunade shook her head. "We have no way of knowing how strong Sasuke is now. For all we know, he's more powerful than all four of us."

Kakashi smiled. "Don't rule out Naruto just yet. I've been teaching him some wind techniques in our time together, as well as some basic guerrilla tactics. You saw how he handled himself against that metamorph. Even recovering from a wound, in a situation that was clearly to our disadvantage, he fought on equal ground and won."

Tsunade pursed her lip, mulling over this new information. "I see. Sakura's almost as accomplished in the arts of medicine as I am, and her chakra control has only increased. You saw how easily she took out that wall of ice."

"Indeed. It appears our respective charges have been improving in spite of all opposition."

"That doesn't mean we can be careless, however. Those Akatsuki are probably right on our trail. We've got maybe a few hours lead on them. We can't linger anywhere for long."

Kakashi grimaced. "We can't last long like this - being hunted wherever we go…we need a base of operations. Some place defensible. Somewhere we can stave of attack and stockpile our resources and expand our numbers."

Tsunade smiled wryly. "So my idea about amassing the remaining ninja behind the banner of Konoha wasn't so unlikely after all?"

Kakashi laughed. "Oh, don't get me wrong – it's a fool's errand. But I figured, as long as we were discussing the impossible, I might as well dream a little."

The fifth Hokage sighed. But it wasn't in exasperation or exhausted, though she was tired. But it had finally sunk in that she was among friends. That she and Sakura hadn't been the only survivors of Konoha. That her bad luck hadn't done them all in.

That there was actually some hope left for the ninja world.

xxxxx

Two hours passed, and Naruto and Sakura took watch.

Naruto rubbed sleep from his eyes. "I miss being able to sleep a full night."

Sakura nodded, too tired to respond. She hadn't slept since finding Naruto. Even when they'd rested, Sakura had found it impossible to sleep. The guilt, the disbelief, the tear-ridden dreams of seeing Naruto's dying face over and over again. She was exhausted.

"I miss ramen," Naruto said. It was nice to have someone to talk to. It was a distraction from thinking about sleep. "I miss that ramen stand I used to go to."

Sakura caught her eyelids drooping, and she shook herself awake.

"I miss playing with Konohamaru," Naruto went on. "I miss tormenting Ero-Sennin."

Kakashi hadn't been much of a listener for these sorts of things. Not the way Sakura was. He couldn't relate to Kakashi the way he could with Sakura.

"I miss eating with Chouji," Naruto lamented. "And lazing around with Shikamaru. And training with Fuzzy Brows."

Sakura began to feel light headed.

"I miss…everything," Naruto said, hanging his head. "Everything I had to leave behind. All the faces…all the memories…"

Naruto felt Sakura's weight shift against him, and he blinked, looking at her, confused.

"Sakura?"

Her head slumped against his shoulder.

"I missed _you_, Naruto…"

Naruto looked down at her, blinking as he wondered, not for the first time, if this was all just a dream. Five years, on the run with Kakashi, not knowing if anyone he once knew was still alive. He never thought he'd see her again. He never dreamed he'd be able to see _any_ one of them ever again.

Slowly, he put his arm around her so as not to wake her.

He was glad to have been wrong.

xxxxx

To Be Continued…


End file.
